Third to samuel w



(No Model.)

R. F. REGB'STER.

LETTER BOX.

No. 386,757. Patented July 24, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT FRANK REGESTER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OFONE- THIRD TO SAMUEL WV. REGESTER, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,757,6.ated July 24, 188.

Application filed March 9, 1888. Serial No. 266,656. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, RoBER'r FRANK REGEs- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usef'ul Improvements in Letter and Parcel Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains m to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to t-he letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speeication.

My invention relates to improvements in postal boxes; and my object is to provide a box into which both large and small packages may be easily deposited and from which unauthorized removal is impracticable, and to ,further providea convenient method of empty- 2O ing the box by the person possessing the key thereto.

To this end the invention consists in the construction hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in the further description,

in which- Figure 1 shows a front view of the box in full. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the box, indicated by the line X X, Fig. 1, the depositing-aperture open and the bottom doors closed. Fig. 3 is a section through the box,in dicated by the line X X, Fig. 1, showing the depositingaperture closed and the bottom doors open. Fig. et is a detailed perspective view of the sealing device.

The same figures refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

The figure 5 denotes the body of the box, which has an opening, 6, placed at the side and near the top thereof', this opening 6 being made of any desired size for depositing therethrough the parcel to be mailed. In order to protect this opening G from the abstraction therethrough of the deposited matter, there is provided a sealing device, 7, (shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4,) and consists of two plates or leaves, 8 and 9, which are preferably cast together and at an angle to each other, and is pivoted at this line of meeting 10 to the box at the lower 5o edge of the opening 6. The leaf 8 of the sealing device, which swings outside of the box, is made so that it will fit into and close the opening (i, while the largerleaf, 9,which swings on the inside of the box, is of such area and width that when the leaf 8 is turned outward 5 the inner leaf, 9, will travel so closely to the walls of the box as to prevent the removal therebetween of any article in the box, the wall 11, which is opposite the sealing device, being made in the curved forni, as shown in Figs. 2 6o and 3, for this purpose, the said curve 1l beginning at a point which will permit sufficient offset 20 for the parcel to Yfall from the leaf 9 when the said leaf has reached ifs lowest position, the position of the said offset 20 being 65 such that the slightest movement outward of the leaf 8 will bring the leaf 9 sufficiently near the said offset to prevent the removal therebetween of any article which has been deposited in the box. 7o For convenience of depositing the parcels the leaves 8 and 9 are placed at an angle one to the other, and the outer leaf, 8, is provided with a stop, 12, thereon, which will stop the outward movement of said leaf at such an ineline that gravity will cause any article placed thereon to be automatically carried to the inner leaf, 9, and thence dropped in the box, the greater length and excess of weight of the inner leaf, 9, causing the said leaf' to normally 8o maintain the lowest position-and the opening 6 closed by the leaf 8, in which position the stop 12 serves as a shed to exclude water or rain from entering the box about the hinged joint of the sealing device, and in the same manner protects the slot 13, which is placed just below the said joint for conveniently depositing letters and the smaller parcels, the leaf 8 being likewise provided with the offset projecting end 14 on the outer edge thereof, which serves as a stop to the inward movement of thesaid leafS and protects the space between the leaf and the box against the weather, a knob, 15, being attached to this leaf 8 for convenience of opening. 95

rlhe lower end ofthe box is made open and is provided with the doors 16, which are hinged thereto in suoli a manner that no obstruction or crevices are formed to prevent the complete and easy discharge of the contents thereof, a 10o strap, 17, which is secured to one side of the box by the staple 18, serving to hold the doors 16 in the closed position, and secured thereat by another staple on the opposite side of the box and lock 19 in the usual manner.

Having described in ldetail the several features o'f my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mail-parcel boX, the combination of the casing 5, provided with an opening, 6, in one side and near the, closed top thereof, a sealing device for protecting the opening 6, consisting of the leaves 8 and 9, which meet and are secured together at an angle one to the other, and hinged at their point of meeting in the bottom of the said opening 6 to the side of the casing, whereby the leaf 8 may be swung outward and downward, and when in the closed position will he flush with the side of the casing to which it is hinged, and the side of the casing which is directly opposite thesaid opening 6 bei ng provided with a curved surface, 1l, the center of which curvature is at the ,hinged point 10 of the sealing device, whereby the free end of the inner leaf, 9, will 25 be in contact with the said curved surface at all parts thereof when moved thereover, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a letter-box, the combination of the 3o casing 5, provided with an opening, 6, in the y side thereof, and a sealing device consisting of the leaves 8 and 9, meeting and secured together at an angle one to the other and hinged at their line of meeting to the box at the 35 lower edge of the opening 6, the leaf 8 being provided with a stop for insuring an inclined position of the said leaf 8, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 4o presence of two witnesses.

`ROBERT FRANK REGESTER.

Vit-nesses:

WM. L. BAILIE, JNO. T. MADDoX. 

